Politicians don’t care about musicians, they only use us – Samini

Ghanaian reggae and dancehall artiste, Samini has said successive Ghanaian governments and politicians do not have the interest of musicians and creative artistes at heart, adding that they only use musicians during campaigns and dump them after winning.

Many musicians and players in the creative arts industry are paid to perform or mount political platforms to campaign for their preferred candidates ahead of major elections in the country.

Musicians like Philippa Baafi, Shatta Wale, A Plus, Wutah, Lucky Mensah, Kwabena Kwabena are a few musicians who have mounted platforms to campaign for politicians in the peak of political campaigns.

Although the Akufo-Addo-led government has created the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture whose mandate, among others, is to take care of the welfare of players in the entertainment industry, the ‘Gyae Shi’ hitmaker believes after the campaigns, the politicians care less about the welfare of musicians.

Speaking to Benjamin Akakpo on the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) on Class91.3FM on Thursday, 14 March 2019, the award-winning musician said: “Personally, I don’t think the creative arts [industry] is the priority of governments or any state institution...

“What they need from the creative arts players or from an artiste or musician is for you to come help them get heard, help them get loud when they need to get loud. When they finish the campaign and all that and they don’t need to get loud, they don’t need you. So, they [politicians] don’t see how they should empower creative arts players or have your back so that you can sell your music and make money or how you can have a pension system or a scheme that takes care of you, whether you are active or not.”

Samini is currently promoting his untamed album.

The album was number 8 on the Top 10 at the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart days after it premiered.